Did he play Thursday against the Giants? I only ask because I thought I saw him on the field but I'm unable to find him on the stat sheet. Surely somebody who's taking up as much space on the salary cap as he is would at least show up on the stat sheet in some capacity, no?

Well, since you brought it up...&quot;Asked one-by-one, Trestman said cornerback Charles Tillman was held out of practice Wednesday, but is &quot;expected to play&quot; Sunday against the Redskins. Tight end Martellus Bennett (knee) was also held out, but did some side work and went through walk-throughs. Defensive tackle Stephen Paea (toe) and linebacker James Anderson &quot;were out there&quot; and &quot;they look good.&quot;

But what wasn't mentioned was the status of defensive end Julius Peppers, who did not practice, despite being dressed in full pads inside the Walter Payton Center during the portion of practice open to the media.&quot;That doesn't sound good. However, I have full faith that if anyone will get Peppers back on track, it'll be ex-Wolfpacker Marc Trestman....

It took you all day to come back with THAT response? Bahahahah you could've just said &quot;yes, Dr Pwnt, you are correct in your assertion that Mr. Peppers has been greatly overpaid for his efforts this season.&quot; Or you could've just said nothing at all...

Back on topic (since uncpwnsitself can't keep from blabbering about another man's &quot;crib&quot;)...

It's been a rough year for the highest-paid player on the Bears.

Julius Peppers, who will turn 34 at this season's end, has struggled mightily through the team's first six games - registering a combined eight tackles and one sack. He hasn't appeared on the stat sheet for two straight games.

&quot;Listen, we all have a job to do,&quot; Peppers told the Sun-Times on Monday. &quot;We all get paid to do our job. And when you're not doing it, you've got to be held accountable.&quot;

At least somebody else in this equation realizes how vastly underwhelming his performance has been this year...

If I was JPep, I'd be spending a fair amount of time with my financial planner and my accountants.

Sitting on a fat wad of cash like he is after so stellar many years in the League, he's going to need some help determining how to spend/invest it all, provide for his family for generations to come, etc. etc.

"JPep gone be just fine", whether he plays another down, or not.

— Posted by uncpwnsyou

And all of this has what to do with Peppers not carrying his weight this season?

Back on topic...

Julius Peppers posted another dud last week with no tackles. Peppers still demands a double team, but he is no where near the player he was when the Bears acquired him in 2010.I'd say that's pretty obvious. The fact that your &quot;star&quot; defensive player is posting multiple duds is a problem. Not really sure how anyone can disagree with that.

If I was JPep, I'd be spending a fair amount of time with my financial planner and my accountants.

Sitting on a fat wad of cash like he is after so stellar many years in the League, he's going to need some help determining how to spend/invest it all, provide for his family for generations to come, etc. etc.

&quot;JPep gone be just fine&quot;, whether he plays another down, or not.

LOLOLOLOL what's wrong kato, don't feel like addressing the lie I just caught you in?

Back on topic (JPep's production, or lack there of, this season)...

Julius Peppers, who will turn 34 at this season's end, has struggled mightily through the team's first six games - registering a combined eight tackles and one sack. He hasn't appeared on the stat sheet for two straight games.

In other words, the Bears have paid a player over $1 million the last two games and he hasn't even appeared on the stat sheet. What's going on with this overpaid DE?

Sure hope he can turn it around.

— Posted by Dr. Pwnt

only one thing i can think of....cheaters never win :)

— Posted by kmorrevenge

nor can they stay on topic, apparently.

So lets try and help it get back on course...

*Where is Julius Peppers? The 33-year-old defensive end is off to a quiet start. With Chicago's defensive line banged-up, the Bears need more from him.I'd say ESPN is asking a valid question here, where is Peppers? Because he definitely hasn't been on the stat sheet the past few weeks

LOLOLOLOL what's wrong kato, don't feel like addressing the lie I just caught you in?

Back on topic (JPep's production, or lack there of, this season)...

Julius Peppers, who will turn 34 at this season's end, has struggled mightily through the team's first six games - registering a combined eight tackles and one sack. He hasn't appeared on the stat sheet for two straight games.

In other words, the Bears have paid a player over $1 million the last two games and he hasn't even appeared on the stat sheet. What's going on with this overpaid DE?

LOLOLOLOL what's wrong kato, don't feel like addressing the lie I just caught you in?

Back on topic (JPep's production, or lack there of, this season)...

Julius Peppers, who will turn 34 at this season's end, has struggled mightily through the team's first six games - registering a combined eight tackles and one sack. He hasn't appeared on the stat sheet for two straight games.In other words, the Bears have paid a player over $1 million the last two games and he hasn't even appeared on the stat sheet. What's going on with this overpaid DE?

What happened to kato accusing Dr Pwnt of bringing up Peppers' being thrown under the bus by UNC or bringing up issues with Peppers' transcript? LOLOLOL seems kato has been caught up in his own lie.

Back on topic (since katard can't seem to keep his mind off the Dr)..

&quot;Peppers' ineffectiveness in Week-1 against a backup left tackle (Anthony Collins) could have been due to the fact that he took just 14 snaps all of the preseason and was still not quite in football shape, but in the end he finished with no quarterback sacks, hurries or even a tackle against a backup.&quot;

If only being a future candidate for the Hall of Fame could have helped him notch a tackle against a BACK UP this year. Alas, it did not.

The only reason these players aren't in the hall already is due to some silly rule about needing to be retired before induction. Lousy technicalities. They have the rings, they have the records, they play the most valuable position in the game - I wouldn't be surprised if the Hall already had busts in the basement, just waiting for these guys. Let's move on.

Players of this caliber occasionally have to wait a year - see Michael Strahan not making it in this year - but they shouldn't be kept waiting too long. Gonzalez is arguably the best tight end of all time, and helped redefine the position into what it is today. Wayne's candidacy will be helped by a productive season or two post-Manning, helping prove that his success was due to more than just his quarterback. As for Bailey and Peppers, they've combined to miss five pro bowls in seventeen seasons, and are moving up the career interception and sack lists - they'll both be top-25 by the time they retire, with Peppers having a shot at cracking the top-5 sack list. They'll make it in without too much trouble.

dr. punt wants to talk current but floods this thread with his references of past dates/times/years...

From pg 1 of this thread: &quot;Peppers hasn't been the same since his dear old alma mater threw him under the bus, then backed over him last August (2012)...&quot; (and brings up transcript references from 1999)

From pg 2: &quot;The Bears may have thought they were getting a &quot;likely Hall of Famer&quot; (JPep began his career with Chicago in 2010...making All Pro and/or Pro Bowl all 3 completed years)

From pg 3: &quot;I loved him when he played for the Panthers&quot; (like when he was Defensive POY)

From pg 5: &quot;what have you done for me lately&quot; (as in the just completed season...All Pro)

Back on topic (seeing as some on here only like to talk about the way things USED to be)....

&quot;Peppers still looks a step slow, and has not been quick to adjust when he's been beaten on his initial move all season, and Thursday night provided several more examples of that lack of second-chance push that has become his calling card this year.&quot;

Hopefully the big fella can regain that step and actually be an asset to his team, unlike the first half of the season..

&quot;The lack of pass rush is basically embarrassing at this point. Julius Peppers failed to record a tackle on the night, while Shea McClellin and rookie David Bass each made two tackles.&quot;Outplayed by a rookie? For the second time this year? Ouch.

Bass has almost half of Peppers' stats on the season despite only playing in 3 games. If only former NC State coach Marc Trestman had more players like David Bass, who don't take entire parts of the season off and take up less than a tenth in salary cap space, he might be able to get a decent pass rush.

If only the management in todays game cared about what happened 3 seasons ago. Alas, it does not. Unfortunately this is a &quot;what have you done for me lately&quot; industry in which Peppers....has only 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 games without a single defensive statistic to show for it.

But like I said earlier, next week provides an excellent opportunity for him to rebound from his woeful first half of the season. I'm sure the Bears would be delighted if he actually started earning his paychecks this season...

Year 1: First Team All-Pro (4th highest vote getter for Defensive POY)Year 2: Elected to Pro-Bowl and led team in sacks (surpassing 100...one of 28 players in history to achieve that mark)Year 3: Second Team All-Pro and first Bear to have back to back 11 sack seasons since Richard Dent

As jgunn said, Pepp has a reputation for taking plays off. Perhaps this year he has decided to take off for the entire first half of the schedule instead? I'm sure management would've loved to have known they before they forked over $3+ million dollars.

— Posted by Dr. Pwnt

Think about how shtooopid the Bills GM feels.

He forked over $100-mil for Mary. O. Williams, about 30X what JPep is making.

As jgunn said, Pepp has a reputation for taking plays off. Perhaps this year he has decided to take off for the entire first half of the schedule instead? I'm sure management would've loved to have known they before they forked over $3+ million dollars.

— Posted by Dr. Pwnt

Perhaps, after returning that fumble 42-yards for a TD last month, JPep is thinking about calling it a career.

Let's hope he winds things down better than, say...Torry Holt.

Regardless, Bears management will certainly know know what to do and when.

As jgunn said, Pepp has a reputation for taking plays off. Perhaps this year he has decided to take off for the entire first half of the schedule instead? I'm sure management would've loved to have known they before they forked over $3+ million dollars.

To be honest, Pepp is being Pepp. He had the reputation for taking plays off in high school, and Bunting benched him for that while he was at Carolina. He did the same with the Panthers. Pepp could play brilliant when he wanted to, but there seems to be a common thread here: Pepp plays hard when he wants to.

— Posted by Jeanne Gunn

Thanks for your honesty. I had never heard of his reputation for taking plays off. I, for one, hope he is able to turn things around for himself and his team.

— Posted by Dr. Pwnt

I hope he turns things around as well, P. To have that much God-given talent, and not use it is a shame. I have nothing against Pepp, and while I'm a Panthers' fan, he fulfilled his obligation and then some to that organization. I thought when he went to the Bears with the style of defense he prefers to play, he'd flourish and be very happy. Hope he figures things out. He is a talented man.

Did he play Thursday against the Giants? I only ask because I thought I saw him on the field but I'm unable to find him on the stat sheet. Surely somebody who's taking up as much space on the salary cap as he is would at least show up on the stat sheet in some capacity, no?

I'm extremely disapointed in Peppers this season. He was quoted the other day in an interview as saying he felt like he was still 25 and in great shape. Well if thats the case he needs to start playing like it. I would love to see him go into the HOF on a positive note by having 2 or 3 more solid seasons and be a difference maker again.

— Posted by larrys080returns

Agreed. I loved him when he played for the Panthers and hated to see him leave. Hopefully he can turn it around next week. The Redskins will definitely provide him with a great opportunity to do so (1-4, yikes).

Interesting that the first UNC fan to actually attempt to address the topic ended up talking about NC State. Baby steps, I suppose...

Back on topic...

"Opposing offensive coordinators used to base each game plan around neutralizing Peppers with multiple blockers. He was double-teamed, if not triple-teamed. Brandon Marshall is treated that way on offense these days. But not Peppers on defense. Only one of those players is still feared, it seems."

Sure doesn't sound good for JPep. Anyone know what's going on with him?

— Posted by Dr. Pwnt

Two-sport star at Flagship U...Pro Bowls, likely Hall of Famer..I'd say he's pretty well set for life, not unusual for Flagship U. alums in the Bigs.

Is that what's got you so upset?

— Posted by uncpwnsyou

Hall of famer? Your head is buried firmly in your backside if you believe that. He takes too many plays off for that.

Did he play Thursday against the Giants? I only ask because I thought I saw him on the field but I'm unable to find him on the stat sheet. Surely somebody who's taking up as much space on the salary cap as he is would at least show up on the stat sheet in some capacity, no?

I'm extremely disapointed in Peppers this season. He was quoted the other day in an interview as saying he felt like he was still 25 and in great shape. Well if thats the case he needs to start playing like it. I would love to see him go into the HOF on a positive note by having 2 or 3 more solid seasons and be a difference maker again.

To be honest, Pepp is being Pepp. He had the reputation for taking plays off in high school, and Bunting benched him for that while he was at Carolina. He did the same with the Panthers. Pepp could play brilliant when he wanted to, but there seems to be a common thread here: Pepp plays hard when he wants to.

— Posted by Jeanne Gunn

Thanks for your honesty. I had never heard of his reputation for taking plays off. I, for one, hope he is able to turn things around for himself and his team.

To be honest, Pepp is being Pepp. He had the reputation for taking plays off in high school, and Bunting benched him for that while he was at Carolina. He did the same with the Panthers. Pepp could play brilliant when he wanted to, but there seems to be a common thread here: Pepp plays hard when he wants to.